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Acer palmatum Sangu Kaku
Rex Richardson
Posts: 4
My acer is far from dying but the leaves are spoiled by a scorched look, mostly on the ends. It's been well watered during the growing season and summer . Some say it's caused by wind but it's not in a terribly exposed site . It seems to me the damage is caused by the overhead summer sun . ?. Help appreciated . Rex .
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Acers are deciduous trees, they loose their leaves in autumn. it sounds like that's what's happening
Oh. It's been going on all summer . Not actually leaf drop though .
My acer Sangu Kaku is in full sun but protected fromprevailing wetserlies by trellis panels with a climbing rose and a clematis. It ha sbeen in about 8 years now, has survived some dreadful winters and grown to about 2.5m high. It does lose some stems in bad winters but is otherwise fine and healthy, planted in neutral, mostly clay soil with loads of manure worked in when I created the bed.
Is yours in a pot or in the ground? If it's in a pot do you give a dribble every day or a good soaking each week? Do you feed it? Th enutrients in potting compost are all used up afet a fex months so if it's in a pot for life it needs regular feeding and a top dressing every spring.
If it's in the ground, what kind of soil is it?
It's in a pot at present as our soil is toward alkaline . I give it a good soaking during hot summer weather two or three times a week . It has had some liquid feed . Local radio experts say it could be over, or under watering . As I said it's not dying having some nice foliage at present but I would like to see it looking happier . Regarding size it's about 1.5mtrs x 1.5mtrs .
My soil is mostly alkaline too but is fertile loam and I have other acers grwoing happily in suns and shade in the back garden.
I suggest that, if you can, you plant yours in the garden but prepare a hole 2 or 3 times as wide as the pot it's in and just a little deeper. Dig it out, clear weeds, work in plenty of well rotted manure and/or garden compost so the roots can spread wide to seek water and nutrients. Plant it at the same depth as before and water well. You can underplant with suitable ground cover or mulch with chipped bark or gravel according to taste.
If this is not an option, give it a deeper, wider pot and good quality compost so it can grow its roots. It's also worth checking for vine weevil grubs. These are small, white maggotty looking critters that chomp their way through roots and can kill off pot plants if untreated. Provado will fix this for you and it may be worth watering some of this in anyway as a precaution.
I have several acers in different parts of the garden.
I do notice that the paler leaved varieties suffer from some leaves drying and going crispy in the summer months. It happens to a degree every year, but none have died and continue to look fine for most of the year. I think it's a combination of direct sun and wind.
Is the soil you planted it in still on the acidic side?
If you use tap water to water it, and your tap water is hard it will soon turn the soil alkaline. Use rainwater if possible.
None of mine are in pots, so don't have any specific experience.
Best of luck!
PS - any more films on the way?
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I think I will leave it in the pot as it doesn't really fit in with my garden style I already have planted . I will turn it out and re-plant it in some better compost . It is a fairly large pot compared to the plant size . It seems they will cope with sun so I will possibly move it to a more sheltered spot that is in the sun . The best one I've seen though in another garden is in a sunless spot . I guess it may also become more tolerant with age. Thanks for your replies . Rex .